No US objection

Fighter jet sale to Turkey signed and sealed

A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet landing at the Italian base in Aviano

(Bild: AFP)

The sale of 40 F16 fighter jets to Turkey promised by the US government has now been finalized. As is well known, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had linked the ratification of Sweden's accession to NATO to the arms deal, among other things. 

"The decision by Congress to approve Turkey's purchase of 40 F-16 aircraft and 79 modernization kits is a major step forward," the US embassy in Ankara quoted Ambassador Jeff Flake as saying on Sunday in the online service X. A 14-day objection period for Congress against the deal expired at the weekend.

21 billion euro deal
The US government had approved the sale following Turkey's approval of Sweden's accession to NATO. The State Department in Washington informed the US Congress on 26 January about the proposed arms deal worth 23 billion dollars (around 21 billion euros). Congress could have objected within two weeks, but did not do so.

Hungary blocked: Sweden still not a NATO member
While the Turkish government is delighted with the arms deal, Sweden is still not a member of NATO. Hungary continues to delay ratification. Now the USA is also slowly losing patience with its alliance partner. "Our patience cannot be limitless", said US President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, in Brussels on Wednesday. Washington is hoping for "a constructive solution to this issue in the very short term".

As reported, the Hungarian opposition had requested a special parliamentary session on the issue last Monday. However, the MPs from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's national-conservative Fidesz party stayed away. As a result, no decision could be made.